A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved safety assembly and related trigger assembly for a tool employed for driving fasteners.
B. Description of the Prior Art
In prior art tools employed for driving fasteners safety mechanisms are often included to prevent firing of the tool until the proper sequence of deactivating the safety mechanism and actuating the tool is performed. Examples of such prior art tools are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,527 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,077.
In prior art fastener driving tools it is desirable in some situations to avoid trip firing wherein the trigger is held in the operative mode and the tool is lifted from and returned onto the workpiece thereby repeatedly firing the tool. Trip firing can be circumvented, if desired, by requiring the safety mechanism and related trigger assembly to be operated in a specific sequence before each fastener is driven into a workpiece. For example, a preferred sequence is that the tool be positioned on the workpiece to deactivate the safety mechanism and thereafter the trigger is actuated to drive a fastener. In this sequence, if the tool is again placed onto the workpiece, the tool is not fired unless the trigger is released and reactuated.